DR. KIRBY SHAW ...has made a major impact in choral music education and has shared his musical expertise in 45 states, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Bahamas, China, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland, Latvia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Kirby has degrees in Music Education and Choral Composition from San Jose State University and a DMA degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Washington. Dr. Shaw’s teaching is infused with a sense of humor and breadth of knowledge that is transmitted in an exciting and highly contagious manner. Kirby taught in the Mt. Shasta public schools before joining the faculty at College of the Siskiyous in California where he founded and directed the innovative and highly acclaimed COS Vocal Jazz Ensemble. He also pioneered similar groups at Colorado State University and The University of Missouri - Kansas City, and is now directing The Kirby Shaw Singers in Ashland, Oregon.

Kirby has scatted one-on-one with such notables as Bobby McFerrin, Al Jarreau, Jon Hendricks (who once told Kirby, ”Man, you don’t make mistakes!”), Mark Murphy, Greta Matassa, and Chris Calloway. He has overseen the creation of hundreds of educational recordings, five college and university albums and two solo CDs. Kirby was a member of Just 4 Kicks, a zany 4-man, a cappella vocal ensemble specializing in Jazz. A composer/arranger with nearly 3000 choral compositions/arrangements in print, Kirby’s music is sung around the world and has sold over 20 million copies. He has many commissioned pieces to his credit, including one for The Mormon Tabernacle Choir. This creative and prolific output has resulted in numerous ASCAP awards. Dr. Shaw has conducted performances in Carnegie Hall. In 2009 the 180-member choir experienced a memorable performance of his music that included the audience enthusiastically scatting along with Kirby and ended with an extended standing ovation. In 2019, singers from around the world performed the 7-movement composition he and his wife, Markita wrote entitled TURN THE WORLD AROUND. Kirby and his wife, Markita have written an original musical based on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol entitled SCROOGICAL! Kirby, Markita, and their foofy-newfie/border collie mix, Tuxedo, live in a forest high above Southern Oregon’s Rogue Valley.